Apparatus for evacuating vessels

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for evacuating vessels prior to filling them which vessels have deformation-sensitive walls includes a rotating filling machine table and a moving device for introducing vessels to the filling machine table and for moving along a path parallel to the table. Both the filling machine table and the moving device have a plurality of housing members arranged at the same equal spacing. As each vessel is fed to the filling machine table, the housing members on the table combine with the housing members on the moving device and form a housing which laterally encloses the vessel to be evacuated and filled. Matching recesses are formed in the housing members so that a cavity is formed within the housing which at least partly encloses the exterior surface of the vessel. The cavity is sealed from the atmosphere and is arranged so that it is exposed to the same below atmospheric pressure as is the interior of the vessel during evacuation whereby the deformation-sensitive walls are not exposed to differential pressure during evacuation.

United States Patent 1191 Heckmann 1451 Apr. 22, 1975 1 APPARATUS FOREVACUATING VESSELS [75] inventor: Werner l-leckmann, Dortmund,

Germany 22 Filed: Dec. 20, 1972 1211 Appl. No; 316,991

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 31, 1971 Germany 2165930[52] U.S. Cl 141/114; 53/86; 53/112 R; l41/168; 198/210; 214/1 131-1[51] Int. Cl B65b 3/16 [58] Field of Search 53/86, 96, 112 R, 386;

141/7, 67, 61, 65,114,165, 166, 313, 316, 10,51, 59, 63, 64, 66, 168,369, 390, 146; 198/210; 214/1 BC, 1 BH Robinson, Jr. 53/112 RXRiesenberg 141/146 X Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter AssistantE.\'aminerFrederick. R. Schmidt Attorney, Agent, or FirmToren, McGeadyand Stanger [57] ABSTRAtCT Apparatus for evacuating vessels prior tofilling them which vessels have deformation-sensitive walls includes arotating filling machine table and a moving device for introducingvessels to the filling machine table and for moving along a pathparallel to the table. Both the filling machine table and the movingdevice have a plurality of housing members arranged at the same equalspacing. As each vessel is fed to the filling machine table, the housingmembers on the table combine with the housing members on the movingdevice and form a housing which laterally encloses the vessel to beevacuated and filled. Matching recesses are formed in the housingmembers so that a cavity is formed within the housing which at leastpartly encloses the exterior surface of the vessel. The cavity is sealedfrom the atmosphere and is arranged so that it is exposed to the samebelow atmospheric pressure as is the interior of the vessel duringevacuation whereby the deformation-sensitive walls are not exposed todifferential pressure during evacuation.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 101 10110 L01 ei/1g APPARATUS FOR EVACUATINGVESSELS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed toapparatus for evacuating vessels with deformation-sensitive walls and,more particularly, it concerns the arrangement of housing members whichlaterally enclose a vessel when it is to be evacuated so that its wallsare not exposed to differential pressure. I

The filling of oxygen-sensitive beverages into vessels or containersrequires that the air contained in the vessel or container be reduced toa minimum before the filling is effected. In known filling devices suchas in US. Pat. No. 3,212,537, this is achieved by evacuating the vesselbefore filling takes place. Such an evacuation operation is successfulonly with vessels having stable walls which can withstand differentialpressure conditions. This method cannot be used in conventional machinesfor filling vessels with deformation-sensitive walls.

As a result, it has been suggested in the filling of plastic containersunder sub-atmospheric pressure conditions, where the vessels have anelastic characteristic, that is, they are deformation-sensitive, toequip the filling element with a sealing bell jar which encloses thevessel and seals it from the outside atmosphere so that the spaceenclosing the vessel can be connected to a sub-atmospheric pressuresource. This proposed arrangement has the disadvantage that it requiresvery considerable expenditures for the filling equipment whichfrequently have a hundred or more filling stations.

Moreover, such an arrangement requires a relatively great overall heightfor the filling machine, since the bell jars are rigidly connected withthe filling member and the vessels can be introduced into the fillingmachine only under the bell jar. This requires that there must be adistance between the support surface for the vessel and the centeringtulip of the filling element which is at least twice the height of thevessel. Further, the output of the filling machine is considerablyreduced because of the prolonged pressurizing procedure.

Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to overcomethe disadvantages experienced in the past and to provide an effectiveevacuation procedure for below atmospheric filling of vessels which havedeformation-sensitive walls. In accordance with the invention, thereduced pressures acting on the exterior surface of the vessel walls ismaintained only during the evacuation operation.

In accordance with the present invention, a feeding device introducesthe vessels onto a moving filling machine table and both the feedingdevice and the table are provided with housing members which combine toform a housing which laterally encloses the vessel as the feeding devicemoves along a path in parallel with the path of the table. Matchingrecesses are formed in each of the housing members so that the housingforms a cavity at least partly enclosing the exterior surface of thevessel and sealing the enclosed portion from the atmosphere. Further,the cavity is connected to a conduit which, in turn, is connected to theevacuation equipment so that both the cavity and the interior of thevessel are maintained at the same reduced pressure.

In this way the evacuation of a vessel with deformation-sensitive wallscan be performed in a relatively simple manner. In this arrangement, itis possible to dispense with the bell jars used in the past, which hadto enclose the vessel during the entire filling process.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the feed ing device isformed as a conveyor element travelling around a pair of spaced guidewheels with the conveyor element supporting the spaced housing membersand arranged to pass in parallel with a portion of the path of movementof the filling machine table.

To supply vessels to the feeding device, adividing worm is provided,spaced from the location at which the device travels in parallel withthe filling machine table, for supplying the vessels at equally spaceddistances to the feeding device.

Furthermore, in the device described above, it has been found to beadvantageous to control the operation of evacuation by control memberspositioned in the path of the housing members when they are joined together to form a housing and to interconnect the cavity in the housingwith the evacuation valve for the vessels so that the same belowatmospheric pressure exists within the vessel and in the cavity in thehousing which laterally encloses the vessel. When the evacuation valveis contacted by the control member, preferably after the vessels haveentered the path of the filling machine table and the housing has beenformed, the evacuation operation is commenced. At the same time, thecavity laterally enclosing the vessel is exposed to the same reducedpressure.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use,reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which. there is illustrated and described a preferredembodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a simplefied top viewrepresenting a vessel filling machine and a vessel feeding deviceembodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the joint path of travel of thefilling machine and the feeding device; and

FIG. 3 is a partial top view of the filling machine and the feed devicemoving along their joint path of travel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In FIG. 1, a portion ofa fillingmachine table is shown travelling along a turning circle 1 with vesselstand trays 2 and housing members 3 combined and arranged at equalintervals on the turning circle. Positioned along a portion of the pathof the turning circle is a vessel feeding device 4 which moves around apair of guide wheels 5, 6. The feeding device includes a conveyorelement 7 passing around the guide wheels so that a portion of its pathof movement on one side between the guide wheels is in parallel with aportion of the path of the turning circle 1. The conveyor element 7 isdesigned as a chain member and a plurality of housing members 8 aresecured to it so that the intervals between the housing members 8correspond to the intervals between the housing members 3 as they passalong the same parallel paths of movement. Each of the housing members3, 8 forms half of a housing within which a vessel is held as it ispassed from the feeding device 4 to the filling machine. As can be seenin FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the housing members 3, 8 is provided withhighly elastic sealing members 9, 10 and 11 so that a seal is providedbetween the surface of the housing member and the surface of the vessel,note FIG. 2, and between the contacting surfaces of the housing members,note FIG. 3. Each of the housing members 3, 8 has a matching recess andthe recesses combine to form an annular cavity 13 laterally enclosing aportion of the exterior surface of the vessel 12 positioned within thehousing. The cavity 13 is connected through a conduit 14 to asub-atmospheric pressure source or to an evacuation valve for thefilling machine, not shown.

In FIG. 1 the arrows indicate the direction of movement of the feedingdevice 4 and the filling machine.

The vessels 12 to be filled, supplied in close succession, are properlyspaced apart by a dividing worm l6 and are introduced to the housingmembers 8 as they pass around the guide wheel 6 and commence theirmovement toward guide wheel 5 prior to moving along the parallel path oftravel with the filling machine. As the housing members 8 pass aroundthe guide wheel 5, they move into matching engagement with the housingmembers 3 on the filling machine table and the vessels are thenpositioned on the filling machine circle 1 and they are enclosed by thematching housing members 3, 8 which combine to form the housinglaterally enclosing the vessels. With the housing members in matchingengagement, the evacuation valve is opened by a control member, notshown, and the interior of the vessel is evacuated. At the same time,the cavity 13 within the housing formed by the housing members 3, 8 isconnected to a reduced pressure source or to the conduit connected tothe evacuation valve. In this way, the same reduced pressure conditionsare established within the interior of the vessel 12 and within thecavity 13 laterally enclosing a portion of its exterior surface. Due tothis arrangement, there is no pressure differential acting on the vesselwall and deformation of the wall is impossible. When the evacuationoperation has been completed, the evacuation valve is closed and thehousing members 8 secured on the conveyor element 7 are separated fromthe housing members 3 on the filling machine and the vessels arepositioned on the stand trays 2 on the filling machine. As the fillingmachine continues its path of movement, the vessels are filled.

While the invention has been described using a rotating filling machine,a battery filling machine having stand trays combined with housingmembers can be moved into matching engagement with similar housingmembers positioned on an intermittent feeding device, so that thevessels to be evacuated are laterally enclosed in a similar manner.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the inventinveprinciples, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for evacuating vessels which have deformation-sensitivewalls, prior to filling the vessels, comprising a machine including amovable member, spaced vessel trays mounted on said movable member formovement along a first path of travel, and a device for feeding vesselsto said vessel trays and arranged to move in cooperating relation withsaid movable member on said machine, wherein the improvement comprisesthat said device for feeding vessels is separate from said movablemember and moves along a second path of travel different from the firstpath of travel of said movable member, said device includes a pluralityof uniformly spaced first housing members movable thereon along thesecond path of travel and only a part of the second path of travel beingarranged to move in side-by-side relation with the first path of travelof said vessel trays, said movable member includes a plurality ofuniformly spaced second housing members each associated with a differentone of said vessel trays and said second housing members spaced apart atthe same spacing as said first housing members, each said first housingmember arranged to move into matching engagement with one of said secondhousing members as it passes along the part of the second path of travelwhich is in side-byside relation with the first path of travel of saidvessel trays for forming, in combination with said vessel tray withinsaid second housing member with which it matches, a housing for thevessel supplied by said device for feeding vessels, each said firsthousing member and said second housing member having a recess formedtherein so that said recesses in matching ones of said first housingmember and second housing member combine to form a continuous cavity atleast partly encircling the deformation-sensitive walls of the vesselsupplied by said device, means associated with said first and secondhousing members and arranged to cooperate with the vessels supplied bysaid device so that the portion of the vessels enclosed by said cavitiesare sealed from the atmosphere, conduit means for connecting thecavities to a sub-atmospheric pressure, means for evacuating the vesselsheld in the matching ones of said first housing members and secondhousing members, means for actuating said means for evacuating thevessels, said conduit means connected to the cavities in the matchingones of said first housing members and second housing members and saidmeans for evacuating the vessels being connected so that when theevacuation of a vessel is effected the same sub-atmospheric pressure isexposed to said cavity in the matching ones of said first housingmembers and second housing members for exposing the interior andexterior of the vessel to the same sub-atmospheric pressure.

2. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said device for feedingvessels comprises a pair of spaced guide wheels, an endless conveyorsupporting said first housing members in spaced relationship thereon andarranged to move over said guide wheels so that said first housingmembers for the part of the second path of travel which is inside-by-side relation with the first path of travel of said secondhousing members move along a path parallel with the paths of said vesselstand trays and said second housing members on said machine.

3. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 2, wherein a dividing worm isassociated with said device for feeding vessels at a position spacedfrom its parallel path of movement with said machine for deliveringvessels at spaced intervals corresponding to the spacing of said firsthousing members on said conveyor member.

4. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said first andsecond housings arranged in matching engagement with the other has afacing surface directed toward the facing surface of the other, saidmeans associated with said first and second housing members for 6effecting a soul from the atmosphere comprises elastic contact thevessel held within said housing so that said sealing material arrangedin the facing surfaces of said cavity formed in said housing iscompletely encircled first and second housing members and in thesurfaces by said sealing material. of said first and second housingmembers which

1. Apparatus for evacuating vessels which have deformation-sensitivewalls, prior to filling the vessels, comprising a machine including amovable member, spaced vessel trays mounted on said movable member formovement along a first path of travel, and a device for feeding vesselsto said vesSel trays and arranged to move in cooperating relation withsaid movable member on said machine, wherein the improvement comprisesthat said device for feeding vessels is separate from said movablemember and moves along a second path of travel different from the firstpath of travel of said movable member, said device includes a pluralityof uniformly spaced first housing members movable thereon along thesecond path of travel and only a part of the second path of travel beingarranged to move in side-by-side relation with the first path of travelof said vessel trays, said movable member includes a plurality ofuniformly spaced second housing members each associated with a differentone of said vessel trays and said second housing members spaced apart atthe same spacing as said first housing members, each said first housingmember arranged to move into matching engagement with one of said secondhousing members as it passes along the part of the second path of travelwhich is in side-by-side relation with the first path of travel of saidvessel trays for forming, in combination with said vessel tray withinsaid second housing member with which it matches, a housing for thevessel supplied by said device for feeding vessels, each said firsthousing member and said second housing member having a recess formedtherein so that said recesses in matching ones of said first housingmember and second housing member combine to form a continuous cavity atleast partly encircling the deformation-sensitive walls of the vesselsupplied by said device, means associated with said first and secondhousing members and arranged to cooperate with the vessels supplied bysaid device so that the portion of the vessels enclosed by said cavitiesare sealed from the atmosphere, conduit means for connecting thecavities to a sub-atmospheric pressure, means for evacuating the vesselsheld in the matching ones of said first housing members and secondhousing members, means for actuating said means for evacuating thevessels, said conduit means connected to the cavities in the matchingones of said first housing members and second housing members and saidmeans for evacuating the vessels being connected so that when theevacuation of a vessel is effected the same sub-atmospheric pressure isexposed to said cavity in the matching ones of said first housingmembers and second housing members for exposing the interior andexterior of the vessel to the same sub-atmospheric pressure. 1.Apparatus for evacuating vessels which have deformationsensitive walls,prior to filling the vessels, comprising a machine including a movablemember, spaced vessel trays mounted on said movable member for movementalong a first path of travel, and a device for feeding vessels to saidvesSel trays and arranged to move in cooperating relation with saidmovable member on said machine, wherein the improvement comprises thatsaid device for feeding vessels is separate from said movable member andmoves along a second path of travel different from the first path oftravel of said movable member, said device includes a plurality ofuniformly spaced first housing members movable thereon along the secondpath of travel and only a part of the second path of travel beingarranged to move in side-by-side relation with the first path of travelof said vessel trays, said movable member includes a plurality ofuniformly spaced second housing members each associated with a differentone of said vessel trays and said second housing members spaced apart atthe same spacing as said first housing members, each said first housingmember arranged to move into matching engagement with one of said secondhousing members as it passes along the part of the second path of travelwhich is in side-by-side relation with the first path of travel of saidvessel trays for forming, in combination with said vessel tray withinsaid second housing member with which it matches, a housing for thevessel supplied by said device for feeding vessels, each said firsthousing member and said second housing member having a recess formedtherein so that said recesses in matching ones of said first housingmember and second housing member combine to form a continuous cavity atleast partly encircling the deformationsensitive walls of the vesselsupplied by said device, means associated with said first and secondhousing members and arranged to cooperate with the vessels supplied bysaid device so that the portion of the vessels enclosed by said cavitiesare sealed from the atmosphere, conduit means for connecting thecavities to a sub-atmospheric pressure, means for evacuating the vesselsheld in the matching ones of said first housing members and secondhousing members, means for actuating said means for evacuating thevessels, said conduit means connected to the cavities in the matchingones of said first housing members and second housing members and saidmeans for evacuating the vessels being connected so that when theevacuation of a vessel is effected the same sub-atmospheric pressure isexposed to said cavity in the matching ones of said first housingmembers and second housing members for exposing the interior andexterior of the vessel to the same sub-atmospheric pressure. 2.Apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said device for feedingvessels comprises a pair of spaced guide wheels, an endless conveyorsupporting said first housing members in spaced relationship thereon andarranged to move over said guide wheels so that said first housingmembers for the part of the second path of travel which is inside-by-side relation with the first path of travel of said secondhousing members move along a path parallel with the paths of said vesselstand trays and said second housing members on said machine. 3.Apparatus, as set forth in claim 2, wherein a dividing worm isassociated with said device for feeding vessels at a position spacedfrom its parallel path of movement with said machine for deliveringvessels at spaced intervals corresponding to the spacing of said firsthousing members on said conveyor member.